Friday, November 14, 2008

General Growth says select GGP malls plan to kick off the traditional start of the holiday shopping season at midnight on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving this year.

Crowds will be treated to early-bird sales, DJs playing live music, shopping spree giveaways and complimentary coffee and hot cocoa.

Alas, our mall is not on the list. But we do get the return of the Santastic experience, starting today.

Prepare To Be Astonished With:The Magical Mailbox - be sure to have your letter to Santa readyThe Naughty or Nice Meter - you still have to be goodNorth Pole weather effects - the forecast calls for daily snow showers...and many more magical surprises!

They call the day after Thanksgiving Black Friday because that's when sales push many retailers into the black. A pretty tall order in this economy. In fact, it's kind of hard to get excited about shopping these days.

GGP, though, gives it the old Santa try with this piece of advice:Develop a Shopping Budget and Strategy – First and foremost, determine how much you can afford to spend on your holiday gifts – especially in the wake of current economic challenges. Plan your day around getting those must-haves before they run out. If needed, you can always plan a second trip to the mall for more common gifts that are likely to remain in stock for a longer period of time.

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This blog is compiled by Dan Beyers, the business, health, science and environment topics editor of The Washington Post. The material here is something he prepares in his free time and it is not part of his work for the newspaper. Dan is a longtime Columbia resident. He moved to Wilde Lake in 1969, is a product of Howard County schools, and now resides in Oakland Mills. His family even has a brick near the entrance to Clyde's. Say hi at columbiatalk@gmail.com.

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